Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-02-24
OUT OF THE ROCK.

OUT OF THE ROCK.
Consolation From the Sorrows of Life to
BE Obtained Only as the Thoughts Are
Conferred In God.
1t is the divincst philosophy of life
that helps us to get sweetness out OF
the hard places, honey out of the rock.
Out of the depths of our personal
griefs we may be best fitted to speak
words of sweetest comfort to the sor-
rowing. And how many such there
are. Night alternates with the day.
While half the world is dwelling in the
sunlight of prosperity, the other half
may be in the shadow of some great
grief. But what if in the darkness
there shines for the sorrowing super
natural brightness surprising that of
the MONDAY sun. There is no time
when God seems SO real or half SO
tender to us as when we are
most afflicted. There is no
honey sweeter than that which is
found in unexpected places; extracted
as if from our stony griefs- If this were
an exceptional experience. we might
doubt its verify and question whether
it were not the result of some self
wrought ecstacy. But when in every
age and in every Christian land it is a
common experience. we have no rea-
son. rs we have no disposition, to chal-
lenge it.
1t has been the experience, not alone
Df few favored ones, but of millions
of Gods sorrowing children: ''Out of
the depths have l cried unto Thee. o.
Lord Il called by reason of mine
affection unto the Lord. and He an
swered me-" If. then, out of
the depths We cry to our COM
panions in sorrow. speaking family
and inadequately of the consultations
that are unspeakable. shall they not
hear us? The bereaved may have these
strong consultations if they seek for
them in God There is 40 restfulness
like that which reaches down to the
bedrock of eternal principles. If a
seaman. navigating a stormy ocean,
had for years carried on deck an an
rhOr. which by and by he had occasion
to let down into the deep waters, and
it held securely when SO much depend
ed upon its steadfastness, how could he
fail to speak approximately and CRATE
fully of that anchor. Surely, the testi-
mOny of millions who have tried 1T is
worth every thing to those who gues-
ton whether there is to the tempest
tossed any anchor for the soul that is
sure and steadfast. The Christian hope
is to the believer such an anchor.
With it he may safely outridc every
storm.
These strong consultations are not
found alone in the sweet thoughts We
cherish of the departed. precious as are
those memories The tempest is stilled
and the soul is at peace only AS our
thoughts center in God Thou wilt
keep him in perfect peace whose mind
is stayed on Thee" Oar minds may
be fixed on the exeellences of the loved
ones that have left us, only to intensity
our griefs. But it is when we think of
all the elements Of excellence in their
character AS reflections of Gods love-
illness. that We rest in peace and are
content. So surely as He who is
the God of truth has not writ
zen lie in the very constitution
If our nature. He has not implanted
those clements of Divine excellence in
any human character and cultivated
them for years. causing them to bloom
with spiritual beauty and to be fragrant
nth Christ-like loneliness, only to
blast them as the flower is withered,
and to destroy them as the worthless
.haff is driven away. 1t is chiefly. if
not solely. in God that the stricken
sonl finds perfect rest Every attri-
oute of His character assures us that
He can make no mistakes and that He
IAN do us no wrong.
And then, before our symPathizing
friends can reach us with their welcome
words, there marches before rs long
procession of giants. many exceeding
great and precious promises; they are
Ill lively oracles; they are present as
Rell as precious promises. There is a
marvellous aptness ia them. They
meet the needs a the here and the now.